Politics & Government

Benjamin Trumpets Success, Acknowledges Challenges at Rotary Club Meeting

In the past three weeks the Columbia Rotary Club has had three politicians as speakers for their Monday luncheon. Yesterday, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin followed in the footsteps of Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen.

With his name coming before voters in November, Benjamin used the opportunity to deliver what was effectively a state of city address. He touted economic development, fiscal stability and the general betterment in the lives of city residents over the past three and-a-half years.

Benjamin also joked that he’s trying to improve the city’s architecture from its “Post-Sherman-esque past.”

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Prior to coming to the luncheon, Benjamin attended the first meeting of a panel on violent crime. The panel was formed in the wake of the murder of Kelly Hunnewell, a mother of four.

During his remarks, Benjamin pointed out that statistically speaking, crime is down in the city, but he also described his plans to make the city safer. He said that the man charged in connection with Hunnewell’s murder should not have been on the streets given his lengthy criminal history. "Lorenzo Young should have been behind bars," Benjamin said.

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Benjamin also said there are plans to add 800 more security cameras to the city’s streets. When asked about what’s being done to deal with the city’s homeless population, Benjamin described the Columbia Cares program and noted that the Aug. 13 city council meeting will address the homeless problem. But Benjamin also noted that, “The city is provider of services to homeless people.”

Benjamin also advocated for a changeover to a strong mayor form of government, as opposed to the one that exists now, which puts much of the city’s day-to-day operations under a city manager. A change could only happen with council approval.

Despite the successes, Benjamin did not sound like he was satisfied. He acknowledged the troubles at the top of the police department but said it’s important not to let it overshadow what’s been accomplished. “The challenges we’re facing are important, but we still have to keep our eye on the big picture,” Benjamin told Patch. “My job is to lead the city and to have a vision.”

Part of that vision is the Bull Street complex, which has had its critics. “We have to enable infrastructure to happen,” Benjamin said. “The promise of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in investments is something that we have to do to move forward.”

In his presentation to the Rotary—he called them the “cream of the crop” for their commitment to public service—Benjamin did not wilt from the idea that he could prove the doubters. “We’ve always felt from the start that Columbia can be a world-class and in order to do that you have to bold and think big,” he said later. 

Election day is a little more than four months away. During that time, Benjamin is sure to be asked to explain and justify his vision for the city many more times.

Keep up with all of Patch's coverage of South Carolina politics by following us on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Columbia